Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin had an eventful day at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The No: 11 team, who are known for their Superspeedway racing prowess and success, secured a second straight finish outside the top-15 on Sunday. The three crashes, ironically in three separate stages, were the reason for Hamlin’s woes.
On stage one, Hamlin made contact with the car of former teammate Kyle Busch in the No:8 RCR Chevy and spun out. He then slowly recovered and made his way up the field only to be collected in a wreck involving another ex-teammate, Joey Logano, in the No:22 Penske Ford in the last lap of stage 2.
The last crash he got caught in involved Stewart Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe, resulting in NASCAR red-flagging the race. While discussing this misfortune on his podcast Action Detrimental, Hamlin admitted that he is tired of getting caught in a homeless mess and admitted that he kind of feels like he is cursed.
If you’re gonna play the Powerball, definitely play the 11. It’s gonna hit. The other wreck, the 22 pulled a late block on the 17 on the last lap and frickin’ wrecked himself, the 17 and me. I was top-five again coming to the end of a stage and got nothing out of it. Am I just generally cursed? … I’m tired of this s—, like, every time I’m in a good position, somebody screws up right in front of me. Hamlin said via Action Detrimental.
Denny Hamlin made a mistake during the clash with Kyle Busch
The JGR driver, while discussing his clash with two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch, pointed out that he initially thought he was clear when he slowly drifted from the middle lane to the inside lane, which Busch was using. But he was caught off guard by the RCR driver and ended up spinning.
On the front stretch the No:8 (Kyle Busch) spun us but I don't even know, I was still caught off guard. I don't know if I hedged too low down the straightaway, I knew I was on the outside, I'm not sure. Hamilton told Fox Sports.
The No:11 driver will go into Las Vegas, Kyle Busch’s home city, hoping to return to the victory lane. Hamlin came into the season as a championship favorite, and he should get over the hiccups soon and should set a positive tone for the season.
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